This took forever, I know, I know. I'm trying to get better about this, honest. Life is hectic. Christmas just passed and pretty much my entire family was sick. No joke. But enough pity. Thanks soooo much for sticking with this crazy little series so long! And for all the reviews. Makes my day.

SHOOT ME IN THE FACE.

"Having fun, Gin?" Teddy asked as he ran past her.

"Oh, yeah. I'm ha--oh, yeah." Ginny responded.

Chris had eventually had to go to work, as did Nikki, even though Ginny didn't really understand who would be getting a tattoo on a Monday. Now, all by herself, Ginny was trying to hold on to Ally, who was determined to put every leaf she came across in her mouth, but it somehow ended up heading towards her eye, and keep an eye on Teddy as he sprinted all over the park.

"Two kids, eh? Bigger handful than you'd expect." a friendly woman who looked to be in her mid forties.

Yeah, I'll play along with this.

"I'm actually expecting my third." Ginny commented, removing a leaf from Ally's mouth.

"You can hardly tell." The plump woman laughed. "I've got nine myself."

"Nine? Really?" Ginny asked quietly, pretending that she wasn't freaking out at the number. "I grew up the youngest of seven, actually. Don't think I'll be able to handle that, seven kids. Must be fun, though. With nine."

NINE?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

"Oh, it is, it really is. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up with nine yourself." the woman laughed, "One day you're expecting your first, and before you know it, you've got more than a houseful."

"I'm sure it happens before you know it," Ginny smiled, "TEDDY, we've got to go, dinner time!"

Ginny kept to herself more than usual as she made dinner, with Teddy doing his homework in her living room, using one of Nikki's boxes as a table. And Ally was lying on a blanket, a mobile over her head fascinating her to no end.

"Ginny, why aren't you telling me some crazy story to distract me from my homework?" Teddy asked as Ginny had some carrots, celery and onions chopping while she checked on the macaroni she had on the stove.

"What?" she asked, obviously distracted.

"Why are you so not listening? Ever since the park, you've been all 'What?' 'Huh?'"

"Sorry, just got a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Teddy, I'm pregnant."

"I know."

"And I don't want to have nine children."

"How many are in there?!"

"Just one, right now…but my mum had a ton of kids, and the lady at the park had a ton of kids, and right now I feel like I'm expecting my third. Three kids! Three! Three is an outrageous number! I'd have to be out of my mind to have that many."

"Three is more than two." Teddy commented, nodding knowingly despite the fact that he really had no idea as to what was going on.

"I'm slightly overwhelmed as it is, just making dinner for the two, three if you count the fetus, is slightly overwhelming to me."

"About that, Gin, I really don't want to eat any salad."

"But--but I have ranch!" Ginny looked on the verge of tears.

"I know, but still…I'm just not a fan of green foods."

"But…"

"It's not your fault, Gin! Really, don't, don't get all upset. I'll eat a few bites, I promise!"

A sniffling Ginny just nodded in agreement, going back to cooking.

Sucker, I'll have to remember this trick for when my own kid is popped out. I'm totally only using this as a ploy, and my tears are just because I'm a really, really good liar…damn hormones.

~-~-~-

"Oof, move over."

"Wha-hoo-eh?" Ginny grumbled as she was shoved to the side in her own bed.

"You Brits are real jerks when it comes to tattoos. 'Oy, we don't like the cartoon-y looks of you Americans,' and 'Classic is best here.'" Nikki complained, putting on a fake and exaggerated accent that if Ginny had been more awake for would have been quite agitated with her for.

"Why are you still in my bed?" Ginny asked her pillow, though Nikki knew it was meant for her.

"Because I'm homeless, not because I'm trying to get my jollies with a preggo chick."

"Preggo?"

"You know, pregnant. Speaking of, why is there still a baby here?" Nikki lifted her head and looked at the pallet of blankets that Ginny had made on her floor where Ally was sleeping, while Julio eyed her wearily.

"Because I am an incredibly good person and this is what I do for friends, I take in children and pretend I'm not pregnant so that it's no problem that I can handle this with my crazy best friend from America sleeping in my bed with me."

"Gin, you know the best part about talking to you?"

"Hmm?"

"Trying to decipher what the hell you're talking about."

The next morning, with four changings and six feedings since first going to bed as Ally as it turned out, was a baby. Nikki volunteered to take Teddy to school on her way to work, so Ginny was left to actually get some work done while watching Ally.

"You see this shoe? You see this blue shoe?" Ginny questioned the baby in her arms who looked up with big eyes of mild curiosity. "This shoe will cost some poor sap 250 Galleons. Well, this one and it's partner. Isn't that crazy? Now, I know you're thinking I'm joking, but really, I can get that much money for two little shoes."

"Knock knock!" a cheerful voice rang out from the front door as the owner of the voice pushed it open. "Ginny? Allison?"

"Mummy's here! Oh, yay! Mummy is here to take you home so I can draw more pretty shoes and…well, that's really all I do." Ginny told the baby as they emerged from the office to Hannah's waiting arms.

"Oh, my baby! I've missed you!" Hannah cried as she scooped her baby up, both of them thrilled. "Ginny, I really can't thank you enough for this. Neville would have come down himself, but he's sick himself the poor guy. We used up all the potion to make me better on me and his Gran. So, I've got more brewing."

"You…haven't talked to an adult for awhile have you?"

"No, up until yesterday it was me and Allison…pretty obvious, then?"

"It reminds me of the days of Ernie." Ginny stated, making Hannah laugh till her eyes filled with tears thinking of her school chum who talked constantly, much to the dismay of those around him.

"No one else can make that joke, Gin, no one."

"No one else secretly dated him for exactly two weeks."

"I remember that! Your second year! Oh, he was so nervous, every time one of your brothers walked by, he'd just stop talking. It was hilarious, really."

"It was a long time ago, and I would appreciate that little tidbit of information being left secret, as it has been for all these years."

"Hear that, Allison? If you're going to date boys you're ashamed of, Auntie Ginny's the only one you can trust."

"Is that really what you want to tell your daughter, Hannah?"

"I'm willing to tell her that up until she starts understanding me."

The two kept conversation going like this, laughing at the nonsense from their past. They were ready to talk the rest of the day until Ally finally got fed up and started wailing.

"I'd better go," Hannah frowned, hitching her daughter up higher on her hip.

"It's probably a good idea before she bursts." Ginny nodded, her nose wrinkled with the worry at the idea of this being her future.

"And you've got to come to the Cauldron Friday! Eight o'clock! Neville's birthday is Saturday, and I'm throwing a surprise party."

"His birthday is Saturday, but you're having a party Friday?"

"Yes! Otherwise it's not a surprise. And bring a date, and your friend what's her face, from America."

"I'll bring a date and what's her face, don't you worry, send my love to Neville, but don't get too close to him if he's sick."

"Are you kidding? He can't keep his hands off me since Allison was born."

"Okay, Hannah, I love you, but get out, you've made me need to vomit again."

Ginny tried to be productive the rest of the day, as Teddy's grandmum would be picking him up from school and coming back to get his stuff later that evening, she really had no responsibilities besides work. She was fairly productive besides the occasional bout of vomiting. And the incident where her hormones got the best of her. ("I HATE THESE SHOES, HATE THEM! THESE ARE THE UGLIEST SHOES EVER! YOU'RE GOING TO SHOE HELL, SHOES!")

Nikki arrived home in a not much better mood that evening.

"I got pizza. It sucks because it's British."

"England is a hell of a lot closer to Italy than America is." Ginny snapped back to her friend.

"But it's a hell of a lot farther from Chicago." Nikki snipped.

"You're from Phoenix!"

"I traveled!"

"Wait, I know this tone, you didn't sleep last night, did you?"

Nikki nodded, the dark circles under her eyes more apparent than ever.

"Was it the dream again?"

Nikki nodded, sniffling quietly.

"I really don't understand the dream at all," Ginny said sadly, putting her hand on her friends shoulder.

"Lincoln was such a good president! A real American hero! I don't know why I always dream he has an ax…" Nikki sobbed out.

"It's because you're psychotic, Nik, no way around it. You're bonkers."

"Knock, knock!" Ginny's attention was sucked right away from her friend, her interest in who else would invade her flat by opening and claiming to knock without actually rapping on the door outweighing her concern.

"Chris, hi," she said with obvious surprise. "And Rufus! Hello, lovey," Ginny dropped to her knees as the giant dog padded over to her, thrilled at the attention he was getting.

"Sure do like popping over unannounced, don't ya?" Nikki asked through gritted teeth.

Chris merely laughed it off, "I was just taking Rufus on a walk and decided I should stop by and see if you lovely ladies were available."

"It's too bad Teddy's not here." Ginny noted, flopping the dog's huge ears about as he panted in ecstasy.

"Yeah, too bad, it's just me and Gin here, and we sleep in the same bed." Nikki said offhandedly, though her pointed meaning was not lost on her friend of her suitor.

"Lucky me," Chris grinned, winking at the blushing redhead.

"We're not lesbians, sorry, don't actually touch each other. That's how we like it. No. Touching." Nikki added, trying to not be so obviously disturbed.

The three of them sat down to eat, with Rufus under the table, optimistically waiting for a slice of pizza to fall before him. Nikki kept a sharp eye on the couple as they giggled and talked over silly things, looking more like a teenage couple then a pregnant twenty something and her older, not the father, sort-of boyfriend, though Nikki wasn't sure exactly how that would look at all.

An actual knocking at the door caught Ginny's attention and she excitedly answered, ready to see who would actually bother to respect her privacy.

"Ginny!"

"Teddy!"

"Ginny!"

"Andromeda!"

"Rufus!"

"Well, looks the chain stops there, the dog doesn't talk, come in, come in." Ginny greeted as Teddy and his well-rested grandmother came through the door. "How's your foot?"

"Much better, thanks to you." in all honesty, she could have picked Teddy up the day before, but a few days off had been so nice…

"Would you like anything to eat? Drink?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't, we just came from dinner."

"Gran took me out to eat! We didn't have to eat in the kitchen!" Teddy chimed in from under the table.

"Andromeda, have you met my friends? Nikki and Chris?" Ginny asked politely, leading the older woman into the kitchen area.

"No, I haven't…which one's which?"